Fluid mixer



G. H. WOLFE FLUID MIXER Sept. 29, 1942.

Filed March 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 29 1942.- G. H. WOLFE FLUID MIXER 7 Filed March 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV ENT OR. Henry No lfe Georg e BY i ll ISATTO 1E Patented Sept. 29, 1942 F "I; t

FLUID MIXER George Henry Wolfe, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application March 26, 1940. Serial No. 325,955

In Italy March 2'1, 1939 V 2 Claims.

. The present invention relates to apparatus for the preparation and regulation or dosage of a mixture of fluids especially adapted to themeduction of an explosive mixture for the supply of internal combustion engines in proper mixture proportions under all operating conditions. The arrangement of the invention can also be used to mix air and illuminating gas for the supply of a kitchen stove, to furnish gas for chemical (e. g. disinfecting or asphyxiating) purposes and generally for all cases where there is occasion to furnish a mixture in a fixed quantity, or desired variations of quantity.

This arrangement in accordance with the invention consists essentially of a centrifugal rotor, conduits for supplying the fluid components to the rotor, valves controlling the said conduits, and means to vary the ratio of the openings of the valves. In the case for example, of an internal combustion engine the rotor may be driven by the engine, preferably at a peripheral velocity greater than that with which the mixture would normally flow to the engine due to the suction caused by the pistons of the engine. Due to the valve controls it is possible, as hereinafter explained, to provide efficient control of the quantity and relative richness of the mixture under all conditions.

The arrangement also furnishes an intimate and homogeneous mixture of the fluids, the components being forced to meet each other by the blades of the rotor which carries them subsequently at a high linear velocity through the outlet which carries the mixture to the engine or other apparatus, producing in thisway an increased thermo-dynamic efliciency for a given combustible material.

The attached drawings show by way of example one form of construction of the arrangement according to the invention, in which drawmgs:

Fig. 1 is a lateral elevation;

Fig. 2 is a front view;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the valve mechanism in a difi'erent position;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section along the line IVIV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section on line V-V of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a partial section of the rotor and one of the side walls thereof.

The body I of the mixer encloses a rotor 2 having blades 3 and driven by pulley I1 and transmission belt I8 which transmits power either from an engine with which the apparatus is associated or from an independently regulated drive r source; in special cases it may be driven by hand. If desired the, blades 3, the shape of which isshown mostclearly in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, may have side-plates 4 (Fig. 6). In the case illustrated the body I is provided with an outlet conduit 5 and two inlet conduits 6 and I, which latter may serve respectively for, say, the supply of combustible gas and air to form an explosive mixture for an internal combustion engine.

The conduits 6 and I (Fig. 5) house two butterfly valves I6 and I5 respectively which are con trolled externally by a system of levers and a regulating link 9. The air and the combustible gas mix themselves together under the action of the blades 3 and are driven by the centrifugal forces produced by the rotation of the rotor, at

superatmospheric pressure, into the tube 5 whichcarries the blended mixture to the engine. The dosing or regulation of the mixture to the exact amounts required is effected by controlling the relative opening or closing of the valves I6 and I5, this result being obained by the linkage shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3, which indicate the two extreme positions of adjustment of the valves I6 and I5 in relation to one another.

This linkage system is operated by a control rod 8 attached to the link 9, which directly controls valve I5. The rod 8 can be controlled in the case of a motor vehicle by the accelerator pedal, and in a stationary installation by a hand control. The valve I6 is controlled externally by means of an arm III which at the other extremity is attached to a rod II, which carries a pin II inserted into the slot of the slotted link 9. The extremity of the rod II is attached to the lower end of a rod I2 which'by a bell-crank lever I2 is connected to a second control rod I3. In the case of a vehicle installation the rod I3 may be operated from the dashboard. The lever I2 is pivoted at I4 to the body I. By placing the pin II at the appropriate point of the slot in the link 9 (the two extreme positions being shown in Figs. 2 and 3) the relative angular travels of the valves I5, I6 are adjusted independently of the joint control due to rod 8. This adjustment of the pin II is effected by the rod I3.

In both Figs. 2 and 3 the control rod 8 is shown in full lines in the inoperative (valves closed) position R while the two extreme positions of rod I3 are shown at T and U. In moving from the position shown in Fig. 2, the control rod 8 travels towards its other extreme position S (indicated in dotted lines) and the angles of opening of the two valves I5 and I6 are nearly the same. If the same operation is performed while the rod I3 is pushed to the other extremity of its course as is shown in Fig. 3 it clearly appears that the maximum opening of valve I5 is obtained while valve I6 has not moved. It is also clear that in accordance with any intermediary location of the pin II in the regulating link 9, there will be a corresponding ratio between the two valve movements. Thus the flow of air can be regulated to form a combustible mixture of appropriate proportions at all conditions of operation of an engine and this can be done in the case of a vehicle While the vehicle is in motion andfrom the driver's seat.

The arrangement describedwith reference to the drawings can be utilised to obtain a homogeneous mixture of liquid with gas as for example a mixture of air and petrol or heavy oil for petrol? driven or Diesel engines and can replace the usual carburetters for engines of all descriptions.

The arrangement also notably improves upon the results obtained with existing mixers especially with regardto the intimate nature of the mixture on which depends the thermo-dynamic eificiency of the explosion.

I claim:

1. A centrifugal mixer for fluids comprising a centrifugal rotor, conduits for supplying the fluid components to the rotor, valves controlling the said conduits, means for controlling one of said valves, said means comprising a slotted link, means for controlling the other of said valves, said means comprising a link adjustable in the slot of the first link, and means for adjusting the position of said second link to vary the proportional openings of the two valves without effecting operation of the first link.

2. A centrifugal mixer for fluids for use for example in the preparation and supply of an explosive mixture comprisin a centrifugal rotor, conduits for supplying the fluid components to the rotor, valves controlling the said conduits, means to vary the ratio of the openings of the valves, and means coupling the valves to a slotted link, said link having two independent controls whereby the amount of mixture supplied and the relative proportioning of the components may be separately adjusted.

GEORGE HENRY WOLFE. 

